'Fore' for a cause at Key Royale

by Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter

Putting in pink
Mandy Brewer practices putting before the start of the benefit golf tournament at the Key Royale Club Feb. 10. The annual For the Cure tournament raised money for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure, formerly the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which invests in breast cancer research. Islander Photos: Lisa Neff

Golfers head out to tee-off in the For the Cure golf tournament Feb. 10 in Holmes Beach.

A seasonal cold spell lifted. The sun was bright, with temperatures rising. The Tuesday morning was perfect for a golf outing at the nine-hole private club.

Plus, dozens of women turned out to raise money for breast cancer research through the Susan G. Komen For the Cure, to rally for a cure with a round of golf.

The 80-plus players, who after a morning on the course gathered for a luncheon inside the clubhouse, were attired in golfwear of pink and white, pink and black, pink and green, pink and tan, pink and red, pink and orange and pink and pink.

Pink flags on the course flapped above the Bermuda grass.

Pink golf balls dotted the fairways and greens — and sometimes the roughs.

Pots of pink flowers created an obstacle course on the putting green.

Pink ribbons hung from golf carts and adorned cars parked outside the clubhouse and one ribbon dangled from a pink scooter that proved the envy of a number of golfers.

Pink ribbons also decorated each slice of chocolate cake served at the For the Cure luncheon, which also featured honey rolls and a grilled chicken breast on a “strawberry fields” salad with candied walnuts, crumbled blue cheese and poppy seed dressing.

The morning began at about 8:30 a.m., with club members and guests arriving to check-in for the tournament and make their bids in a silent auction and raffle featuring prizes donated by Ace Hardware, Anna Maria Island Community Center, Body and Sol, Egret’s Landing, Energetix, Ginny’s and Jane’s at the Old IGA, the Good Earth, Herman Bond/HF Golfman, the Island Scooter Store, Keith Kessler, Mr. Roberts, Pro Golf, Rudy’s Sub Shop, the Sandbar, the Sand Dollar, Subway, Sweet Peas, Timesaver and Via Italia.

With the golfers organized into foursomes, Bob Elliott fired a pistol for a “shotgun” start shortly after 9:30 a.m.

Nancy King, who helped organize the event and golfed, said the tournament creates a special day at the club.

“It’s the camaraderie of the ladies and the chance to do something,” King said.

“It’s a good event and a nice cause,” said Cathy Rice, as she practiced her putting before the tournament.

Nearby, Mandy Brewer of Longboat Key also warmed up. “The whole day is wonderful,” said Brewer, a breast cancer survivor and an avid supporter of Susan G. Komen-related events. “It’s fabulous, all this for a small club.”

The Susan G. Komen For the Cure, based in Dallas, raises money with a variety of For the Cure events throughout the nation, the highest-profile being the Race for the Cure.

The money goes to fighting breast cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women. An estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in women in the United States last year.

Over the years, the nonprofit has invested more than $1.3 billion in the fight, a lot of the money raised with grassroots events such as the golf tournament in Holmes Beach last week.

The Key Royale event raised more than $4,500, according to Cindi Mansour, who co-chaired the event with Cindy Miller.

The chairs said they worked with a large and active committee, and, in addition to receiving prize donations, received donations from the Key Royale Club staff.

Staff donated their tips, as well as some time, said manager Suzette Bingham.

“Everybody tries to get involved,” Bingham said.

Seeing pink…

Susan G. Komen For the Cure, formerly the Susan G. Komen Foundation, has used the color pink since its inception in 1982.

The first Komen Race for the Cure logo design was an abstract female runner outlined with a pink ribbon and was used during the mid-1980s through early-1990s.

In 1990, the first breast cancer survivor program was launched at the Komen National Race for the Cure in Washington, D.C. The survivors wore buttons that were printed in black and white.

Later that year, the survivor program developed, and pink was used as the designated color for Komen to promote awareness and its programs. Pink visors were launched for survivor recognition.

In 1991, pink ribbons were distributed to all breast cancer survivors and participants of the Komen New York City Race for the Cure.

In 1992, Alexandra Penney, editor-in-chief of Self magazine, wanted to put the magazine’s second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month issue over the top. She did this by creating a ribbon and enlisting the cosmetics giants to distribute them in New York City stores. And thus, the birth of the pink ribbon.

Get breaking news

Sign up to receive breaking news alerts
via e-mail. We'll send you a notice when the news and classifieds
appear online every week, before the print edition hits the streets.